Moments
by dwparsnip
Summary: Moments between Batman and Wonder Woman. Could be based on any universe. Ch. 1 and 2 based on animated movie 'verse. Ch. 3 and 4 based on comics.
1. Chapter 1

So many things to say I don't know where to begin.

All recognizable characters property of DC, as far as I know. They aren't mine and never will be.

I take a lot of liberties with this. Diana and Bruce are in a relationship, and it's based in the 'Public Enemies' and 'Apocalypse' 'verse. It happens after 'Public Enemies' and near the beginning of 'Apocalypse'. Hope that makes sense.

This is intended to be the first in a series of moments between the two that could be based on various 'worlds' (ie: cartoon, movies, etc.). We'll see what happens.

Not run through a beta so any mistakes are my responsibility. Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

* * *

_Gods I need a bath,_ thought Diana with an inward grimace as she walked into her room. The gentle island breeze wafting through the opened windows did little to dull the stench that had been assailing her nose for the past twenty or so minutes.

Her sparring session with Artemis had been grueling to say the least with the red headed demon spawn, (and she used the term as one of utmost affection), coming at her again and again with little reprieve. Diana had almost been reminded of her sparring sessions with Batman, the big difference being, (besides their genders, of course), that Bruce never, ever gave up. Diana allowed herself a brief moment of smug satisfaction as she recalled Artemis' grudging concession of defeat after she'd all but choked the woman to death. At any rate, even in defeat Artemis had landed more than her share of blows, several of which still hurt despite the lapse of nearly half an hour.

Diana stopped in the middle of her room and winced as she gave her right arm an experimental lift. Her left hand slid across her flat stomach towards her right side and gingerly probed along the outer edge of her ribcage, and though she found none of the ribs to be broken there was definitely a fracture or two. Her injuries would heal up soon enough, but until then she was going to be…uncomfortable.

Suddenly her fingers found a tender area and she took in a sharp breath, with half the breath being drawn in through her mouth while the rest went in through her nose, reminding her of the reek radiating from her with such a force that she nearly gagged.

She let her arms fall to her sides for a moment, taking the opportunity to take in several fortifying breaths- through her mouth and **not** her nose- before peeling her soiled uniform from her aching body. The breastplate made no noise as she tossed it onto her bed, followed in short order by her belt, tiara and bodice. Her thumbs hooked underneath the top edge of her shorts and she just started to push them down when…

"There's a problem in Metropolis."

Diana whirled around and her body automatically went into a defensive posture even as her mind recognized that the source of the unexpected male voice was an ally. She peered into the far corner of her quarters, the only area of the room bathed in shadows during the mid afternoon hour, and after several seconds found Batman. His body was facing her, but his head was turned slightly to his left. For a moment she didn't understand why, at least she didn't until a small gust of cool and refreshing wind blew across her bare back and shoulders.

She just managed to resist smirking as she relaxed and fully faced Batman, moving her hands onto her hips and giving Bruce a show that would have made most men and many gods blush.

And it wasn't like he hadn't seen it before.

"Then you should talk to Superman," she replied after staring at him for nearly a minute. "I'm sure he would be more than willing to help you."

She maintained her pose and watched as Batman moved out into the light without making even a whisper of noise. When he finally looked at her, the white eyes of his cowl stayed firmly fixed upon her eyes, though if she were a betting woman she'd wager he'd stolen a quick glance at her chest in there somewhere.

At least she hoped he had.

"He's part of the problem," said Batman, his voice low and tinged with only a hint of frustration that very few people would have caught. She was one of them. "A week ago, a ship crashed into Gotham Harbor. I investigated and found a woman who seemed to have similar powers to Superman." There was a brief pause and he added, "And the same vulnerability."

Diana's eyes widened at the implication. "Another Kryptonian?" They had assumed that Clark had been the last.

"His cousin, apparently," said Batman in a tone of voice that told her he didn't completely buy it. "Kara Zor-El." Batman turned away from Diana and moved towards her bed. He looked down at her abandoned breastplate and said, "Clark has been teaching her English and about Earth," he turned to look at her with narrowed eyes, "but she's still dangerous." His eyes remained focused upon Diana's as his body turned to face her as well. "Clark had the advantage of growing into his powers as his body matured. The girl is fully grown and her powers already matured. She needs to be somewhere where she can learn to control those powers."

Forgetting her partial nudity, Diana folded her arms across her chest and said in a considering voice, "And where the risk to innocents would be minimal. Like Themyscira."

Batman nodded once. "Surrounded by female warriors who have had centuries to learn techniques to control their emotions and learn the limits of their physical abilities should help the girl. And it doesn't hurt that Amazons can look after themselves if she loses control."

Diana thought about it for a moment, but realized rather quickly that Bruce would have thought of every possibility and explored every angle. And he was right, not that she would tell him that.

"Clark won't willingly allow her to come, will he," she said more as a statement than a query. She knew Clark well enough to know that he would go into overprotect mode if he believed the girl to be his blood relative.

"No," Bruce replied anyway. "That's why I came to you first. We're going to have to show him that she's not in enough control to be around the people of Metropolis. We need to prove she's dangerous, even if she is innocent and simply unprepared for her powers."

"We?" asked Diana sweetly.

"As I recall," replied Batman slowly, "after the incident with Luthor you were upset that Superman and I hadn't consulted you about the situation."

"As I recall I was pissed as hell that you hadn't come to me for help," retorted Diana shortly, the memory that Bruce had undertaken what should have been another suicide mission still painfully fresh in her mind.

Bruce's voice was gentler than usual when he said, "Diana…"

But she was having none of it and she held her hand up to stop him from continuing. They'd already discussed it after she'd found out what had happened, with Bruce explaining that neither he nor Clark had wanted to involve her in their fight with the former President of the United States, and her warning Bruce to never do the likes again. The argument had been heated, profane (on her part anyway) and physical enough to keep Alfred busy for at least three hours cleaning debris out of the Batcave.

The makeup sex afterwards had been equally passionate, intense and only slightly less destructive.

When he made no further comment her right eyebrow arched upward. "And you have a plan."

Batman gave her the briefest of smirks as he replied, "Don't I always?"

Diana smiled and inclined her head in agreement.

Batman slowly took the four steps needed so that he could stand before her and sighed. "This isn't going to be easy." He paused for a moment before leaning in and gently pressing his lips to hers. Before she could respond he drew back, then turned on his heel and walked briskly towards the door. He stopped before passing over the threshold and said over his right shoulder, "Get cleaned up and meet me at the clearing so we can go over the plan." He turned and started to leave but stopped again. "Oh, and Princess?"

"Yes?" answered Diana somewhat feebly, and then she cursed herself for being so affected by something as simple as a little kiss from Bruce.

"Next time you want to try to tease me," he said in what passed for an amused voice for Batman, "you might want to make sure you don't look and smell like you've been fighting in the dirt with an Amazon."

Diana instinctively looked down to her sweat, blood and dirt covered body. Anger and embarrassment set her blood to boil and she looked back to the doorway to give Bruce a tongue lashing that he wouldn't soon forget, complete with promises of not teasing, touching or indulging him for a long time.

Of course he was gone.

Diana growled and turned with an aggravated huff to head towards the bathing chamber. It galled her that he'd noticed her sorry state even though she knew he couldn't have possibly missed it, but the arrogant bastard didn't have to bring it up.

She walked towards the bathing chamber, kicking off her boots and discarding her soiled shorts along the way with a promise to retrieve and clean them later. When she entered the bathing chamber something didn't seem right, causing her to slow down and proceed carefully until she came to a stop next to the bath. With eyes widened in surprise she took a minute to survey the sight before her. The bath was full of steaming hot water, complete with all her favorite oils and soaps. A towel and robe patiently waited for her next to the bath and there, next to the robe, rested a box that hinted as to who had done this for her.

She stepped into the water and sighed in relief and contentment as she lowered herself into it, sitting on the smooth marble floor of the bath and resting her back against the wall opposite her robe and towel. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, finally able to do so without her nose being inundated by the grotesque smell.

After a few minutes, her curiosity became too much to take and Diana opened her eyes and smiled as the box came into view directly across from her. It was a rectangular metal box, perhaps twelve inches high and eight inches wide. It was black, of course, and in the middle of the side facing her resided the same bat symbol that adorned the chest of Batman's uniform. Her smile widened as she moved through the water towards it, and when she finally picked the box up her smile wavered ever so slightly. It wasn't a typical box- that is to say it wasn't a box with a lid of any type. Instead it appeared to be two halves connected by a long hinge on the left side as she looked at it and some sort of button clasp on the right. Intrigued, she pressed the button and nearly jumped when a hissing sound came from the box as it opened an inch or so. She gently opened the box the rest of the way, and when she saw what was inside her heart swelled with love and her smile returned to her lips with full force.

The box, as it turned out, was a miniaturized cooler apparently developed by Bruce and inside was what she considered to be heaven in a glass: a perfectly chilled Starbucks Iced Peppermint Mocha, complete with straw.

Diana removed the glass from the mini fridge and brought it up to her nose to inhale the beautiful peppermint fragrance, then took the end of the straw between her anxious lips. She gently sucked on the straw and nearly moaned in ecstasy a moment later when the peppermint mocha slid deliciously past her tongue and down her throat.

_Gods I love that man!_


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them immensely. This one is from 'Apocalypse'. Next one won't be. No beta so the boo-boos are all on me.

* * *

They had lost.

They had lost Kara to Darkseid; they had lost dozens of warriors- Diana's sisters, including Lyla- to Darkseid and his Doomsday clones; and now they were losing precious time.

And that simply irritated Batman. After bringing Lyla's lifeless body into the palace, he'd stood by quietly for nearly twenty minutes in an antechamber just off the throne room while Superman and Wonder Woman devised and discarded plan after plan to retrieve Kara Zor-El from Darkseid, many of which involved simply attacking Darkseid and taking the girl back. After five minutes he'd simply tuned them out and went to work formulating a plan that had a reasonable probability of success.

The two of them finally fell silent after apparently running out of ideas, and into the suddenly quiet room Batman announced, "There is someone who can help us."

Two sets of brilliant blue eyes turned towards him, each pair boring into the white eyes of his cowl with an intensity that might have been able to melt solid gold if their owners had been inclined to try, Superman's heat vision notwithstanding, of course.

"Who?" asked Superman after a moment, his voice holding a desperateness to it that Bruce had seldom heard from the Man of Steel.

Batman looked at Superman for a moment before simply turning to Diana and saying, "She did say drop by any time."

Diana's eyes widened as she quietly exclaimed, "Hera!" She flashed Batman a 'You're a genius' smile before turning to Superman and explaining. "Barda. She'd have all the information we'd need to help Kara."

Superman turned towards Batman, and his voice was thick with irritation when he said, "Why didn't you just say so?"

Again Batman turned to Diana instead of answering Superman. "Get whatever you need to take to Apokolips. We leave as soon as you're ready."

Diana moved over to a wall upon which resided an assortment of swords, shields, battleaxes and other weapons and immediately reached towards one of her more favorite swords.

"What about you?" asked Superman.

It was a testament to Clark's concern for Kara that he would ask such a ridiculous question. Ordinarily Clark would know that he would always be prepared, and Bruce was certain that once Clark had some time to reign in his raw emotions he would be the determined and level headed Superman that they needed. As it was, someone besides him still had their wits about them, and the right side of his mouth edged upward a millimeter as Diana replied for him.

"Bruce has whatever he needs in the Batwing." She came to a stop between them and gave her sword a twirl between them. She looked first to Superman and then to Batman, whose gaze she held as she said, "I'm ready."

Bruce nodded and turned towards the door, feeling more than a little pride in Diana and her relative calm. Yes, she was pissed as hell and in mourning at Lyla's murder at the hands of Darkseid, yet she was still in control and thinking clearly. Diana fell into step beside him and matched him stride for stride as they walked along the path that would take them to the clearing that served as the Batwing's landing pad.

"Any ideas on how to convince Barda to help, Clark?" asked Diana as the clearing came into sight. After a few seconds Diana's brow crunched together and she said as she glanced behind her, "Clark?"

"He took flight as soon as he left the palace," said Bruce without breaking his stride. He heard Diana's sigh and shared the sentiment behind it. He could understand and appreciate Clark's attitude- his fear and rage and impatience- but they wouldn't help get Kara back. In fact, a fearful, angry and impatient Superman might get them all killed.

"So what's the plan?" Diana asked as they walked into the clearing.

"Clark will want to take on Darkseid head on," replied Bruce without a hint of reproach in his voice. "We won't be able to stop him, so we'll just have to deal with it. You'll take a less direct approach but with the same goal as Clark: get to Kara."

When Bruce didn't continue on with his part in the plan, Diana reached out and put her left hand on his shoulder to stop him. He did stop, but he didn't turn to face her. "What about you?" she asked warily.

Bruce contemplated not telling her the whole truth about what he intended to do. He could tell her that he would be doing the same as her and Clark- trying to find and rescue Kara which was in essence the truth- but she deserved to know. Besides, a plan like this for a rescue like this from a place like that needed to be fully known and understood by all the participants.

He slowly turned towards Diana and nearly smiled at the concern mixed with annoyance shining in her eyes. "I'm going to find the Hell Spore armory," he said with a serenity that belied the gravity of the situation, "break their arming code and arm them with the intention of forcing Darkseid to release the girl and swear to leave her alone."

Diana's mouth fell open and her arms fell to hang so loosely by her sides that she nearly lost her grip on her sword. "Are you insane?"

Bruce's mouth formed a demonic smirk as he said with a hint of macabre humor in his voice, "I'm a non-powered human being going to Apokolips to face one of the most evil and powerful beings in the universe." He stepped closer to Diana, who had recovered from her shock if the redness in her cheeks was any indication, and added, "What does that say about my sanity?"

"Bruce…"

"Diana," Bruce interrupted softly, "it's the only way. We both know that a brute force attack on Darkseid won't work. There has to be something else. We need leverage."

Bruce waited and watched Diana carefully. He could see her mind working through his reasoning by the minute movements of her eyes and facial muscles. It wasn't until her eyes focused on his and her mouth turned down into a small yet unattractive (if anything about Diana **could** be unattractive) frown that she spoke.

"It's a good plan." She nodded with all the regality and confidence of a Princess born to lead a nation of warriors. "A very good plan and it will succeed."

Batman nodded his thanks, then waited as Diana turned her sword in her hand so that the tip was pointed towards the ground. A moment later she drove the sword a few inches in the sand and faced him. When she started to reach for his cowl, his right hand surreptitiously moved to his belt to deactivate the cowl's security features.

There was no hesitation in her touch; no fear at all of what might happen even though she knew the cowl was protected from outside tampering. There was only trust in her eyes as her fingers slid under the cowl and lifted it from his face; and there was only happiness shining in her bright blue orbs as she pushed the cowl back to reveal his face to her.

Diana's hands moved onto his cheeks and her fingers glided downward along his skin in a tender caress before falling gently onto his shoulders.

The white eyes of his cowl with its visual enhancements- infrared and night vision capabilities for example- were better than his own eyes on so many levels. With the cowl he could see so much more and in so many different ways, allowing him to see clues and threats that he wouldn't have otherwise been able to find. Yet with all the cowl's superiority over his natural eyesight, there was absolutely nothing as enchanting and soul warming as looking upon Diana with his own eyes. Yes, with the cowl's infrared vision he could 'see' the temperature increase in her cheeks when she blushed, but it simply wasn't the same.

Now with the cowl removed he could see the slight tinge of rose in her cheeks and the passion in her dazzling blue eyes. He could see the moistness of her perfect lips. He could drink up the sight of her, and he did so just as surely as he would have if he thought there was a chance that this could be one of the last times he would ever see her.

His hands moved over onto Diana's hips, and without a second of pause he drew her to him until their lips met. Diana's hands slid back along Bruce's shoulders until her arms encircled his neck, holding him close to her as their mouths moved against each other with delicious deliberateness. The kiss was charged with passion, and when they mutually ended it a minute later they were both slightly winded and affected so much that they simply rested their foreheads against each other's until their hearts and bodies calmed down.

It was Bruce who moved away first, and he wasn't surprised at all when Diana's eyes showed complete understanding. Her hands moved and found the edges of the cowl and with an expertise matched only by Bruce himself and Alfred, she moved it upward so that it protected him once again.

As one they stepped away from each other, their shared mission having taken a backseat to their own needs for too long already. Without a word Diana lifted up into the air while Bruce turned and headed towards the Batwing. He was just about to climb into the craft when Diana's voice, floating from up high like that of an angel, stopped him. He looked up to her floating there in the clear Themyscirian sky and waited.

"If you let them kill you," Diana said with a tone that left no doubt about her sincerity, "I will bring you back from the underworld so I can kill you myself."

Bruce was tempted to remind her that he didn't believe in the fairy tales of her gods, but in the end he decided it was the sentiment more than the substance that was important. Instead he responded with, "I wouldn't expect anything less." He paused for a moment and said in the voice that was just for her- his real voice- "Be careful."

Diana smiled as she responded with a soft, "You too."

Before he knew it she was flying off in the direction that Clark had gone, and twenty seconds later he was following her.

A/N: To Blah- I was trying to convey just how hard of a workout Artemis had given her. I was unsuccessful, apparently. Sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm more of an animated universe guy and don't have a whole lot to do with the comics, so I'm not sure about this one. It's focused on #6 of 'The Return of Bruce Wayne' comic series. Hopefully it's not too out of touch with it and, you know, reality, such as it is. The italicized speech within the quotes are taken directly from the comic which was written by Grant Morrison.

Again no beta so they're my mistakes…all of them.

* * *

Her heart had nearly imploded when she'd seen him. It had been **his** strong jaw she'd seen underneath the pseudo-cowl he'd been wearing. Those had definitely been **his** lips that had moved when he'd spoken, even if it hadn't quite been **his** voice she'd heard.

It was him.

It was Bruce. Alive.

And she would do her damnedest to make sure he would stay that way.

It wasn't until the Time Sphere disappeared into the time stream somewhere and Bruce spoke that she realized that for him to live, he had to die. And with that knowledge a sizeable piece of her soul withered away, whether to be revived along with Bruce or destroyed along with him she did not know for certain.

She reached over and gently gathered him in her arms, allowing herself only a moment to enjoy the feeling of him against her before speaking. "_He struck down Darkseid. Such hubris on the part of mortals has always had a price._" Her heart missed a beat, but she gently tightened her embrace of Bruce and summoned all of her inner reserves to instill confidence and fortitude into her voice. "_Batman must die_."

"The pool!" announced Superman, his voice sure and hard as steel. "Lower his body temperature…"

She was on the move before Superman could finish speaking. She strode through the hallways, and though Bruce was light in her arms she felt the enormous weight of the Batman, along with Gotham and the world straining her muscles, for how many times had he saved them all?

"Diana."

She looked down to his bloodied face and smiled when she saw his blue eyes gazing at her. "Hang on, Bruce," she ordered him in a soft whisper. "We'll get you through this."

He smiled, or tried to at any rate. "I know." There was a pause and then he said, "Lo…you…" His eyes slowly closed and his head lolled against her chest. For an instant she thought the worst and something like panic began to turn her stomach to stone. Luckily he coughed as if his body was seeking to reassure her that he still lived.

Diana swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Fortune was truly smiling upon her for only a moment later the pool came into view. She walked towards the edge of the pool, and then stepped over it. Instead of going into the water she floated out over the pool until she was several feet from the edge. By the time she lowered herself and Bruce into the water Superman was already in it and using his freeze breath to lower the temperature.

"Pass him to me," said Superman as he reached for Bruce. She balked at the idea until Superman's eyes found hers and he said, "You'll need to monitor the radiation and restart his heart when the time comes."

Diana relented and passed Bruce over to one of the two men she truly trusted- the other happened to be the man that up until that moment had been her precious cargo. Someone, she didn't notice who, passed her a light as Superman continued to lower the water temperature.

Finally Superman announced quietly and with all the reverence in the world, "He's gone."

Diana remained focused on the radiation levels and not the fact that Batman… Bruce… was dead only inches away from her.

After several minutes she said, "_Omega radiation is leaving his body and we have only moments to revive him when it's gone._ _Pray to,_" she ran through the options in her mind, and of all the deities she could pray to for Bruce's safe return only one stood out for her: the goddess of love, "_Aphrodite he still has the strength to come back from the Land of Shade in Hades._"

She looked to Superman when the radiation sensor sounded all clear. When he nodded and said, "_Start his heart,_" she did.

And she waited.

Finally, after what seemed to her to be more than an hour but was actually less than a minute, Bruce jolted upright and coughed some ungodly black gook from his mouth.

He continued to cough and shiver for a few seconds, and then he went silent. He looked about him, at all the faces of those who had helped him to defeat Darkseid's final attempt at destroying the world- at the faces of those who had saved him. He looked at them all in turn, starting with Green Lantern and moving on until he came to Tim. He held Tim's gaze longer than he'd held the others, his eyes strong and bright in his appreciation and pride. Then he looked to Superman who simply smirked and nodded once, a gesture that was somewhat of an inside joke between them and one which he returned.

Finally, he turned to look at her. She refused to let the tears that had been pricking at her eyes since his return- at that time tears of sadness and now tears of happiness- fall. She'd cried far too much for her liking since Darkseid had taken away the bravest person she'd ever known. Despite the horrendous ordeal he'd been through, despite the fact that a very short time ago he was dead, his eyes were bright and intense as they bored into hers. She could see his appreciation for her efforts, his pride in her actions, his regret at her pain that his 'loss' had caused even though he knew she didn't blame him for it, and most importantly she could see and feel the passion and love her felt for her.

He took a step through the freezing water towards her, but his legs were still unsteady enough to cause him to stumble. No one moved to help him. They all knew he needed to do this on his own, and he didn't disappoint. With one slow intake of breath and an absolute summons of an iron will, a freezing cold, not long from the dead Bruce Wayne became the heroic man who had bested Darkseid.

He became the legend.

He became Batman.

With sure steps Batman moved towards her. She was so enthralled with the miraculous sight that she didn't even feel the small cold waves caused by his movements lapping against her body.

His hands moved up onto her arms just above her elbows, then slowly moved up until he was holding onto her shoulders. "Diana," he whispered as though her name was a prayer.

"Bruce," she whispered back just as solemnly. All the emotions she'd felt since his 'death' at the hands of Darkseid fought to rise to the surface, but the only strongest one prevailed.

Love.

She reached over and wrapped her arms around his waist and then leaned in towards him. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut just before her lips touched his, and she heard several gasps and exclamations from those gathered around them ranging from shock to excitement until she shut them all out and focused completely on the man she'd come to realize she loved.

It was a slow, sensuous kiss, one that reassured them both that what was happening, his arrival home and their reunion, was real. More than that, it was a promise of more to come, and it was that reassurance that kept Diana from worrying and being angry when Bruce stopped the kiss and pulled away.

"Gotham needs you," she whispered as her right hand moved up to caress his cheek.

Bruce nodded and turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. "Give me a day or two to get caught up with what's going on in Gotham," he quietly said, "then come to the manor."

Diana smiled and nodded as she let her hands slip away from him. He faced her for another moment, then turned and made his way to the edge of the pool where Tim stood waiting with his old battered cowl still in his left hand.

Tim reached out his right hand to help Bruce up out of the water, and without any hesitation Bruce accepted his help.

When Bruce was standing next to him, Tim held out the cape and cowl for him to take. Bruce studied the garment for a few seconds then looked up into the eyes of Red Robin. "No, Tim," he said, his voice firm and leaving no room for disagreement. He motioned to the cowl with his head and said, "That's from the past." His eyes flickered towards Diana as he said, "I need a new one to go with my new future."


	4. Chapter 4

Like I said last time, I'm more of an animated universe guy, and I apologize if this jaunt into comic land is off too much. I'm not too thrilled with the ending, but I decided to go with it. Based on the events in 'Blackest Night Wonder Woman #2'. Takes place after the issue technically.

No beta so all mistakes are on me.

Thank you so much to those who reviewed. Sorry I haven't responded to them individually…I'm bad like that.

* * *

Twenty minutes after Diana had collapsed face first onto her bed, she sighed and rolled over onto her back to stare at the plain ceiling. She- like the rest of the League- had been at it non-stop for far too long. She- like the rest of the League- was physically worn out, so much so that Hypnos should have laid claim over her before her head had even neared the pillow.

And that didn't even factor in the sheer exhaustion brought on by the emotional roller coaster she'd been forced against her will to ride on.

Yet she could not sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw images that tore into every fiber of her being with an intensity that caused her stomach to heave: Mera…bruised and bloodied, then impaled by her own trident; Cassie…dead with her caring and loving heart ripped from her chest; Donna…sliced and slaughtered with an axe; and her mother…lying on the ground with an axe dug into her chest and the sharp edge of a shield about to be pushed into her throat.

ALL done by HER hands.

Yet, as nauseating and disgusting as those images were to her, nothing sliced into her heart and soul more than the experience with Bruce. With Cassie, Donna and her mother, the terrible feelings of guilt and remorse remained but she knew that that was all they were, feelings that had no true substance and had been brought on by Aphrodite's hallucinations. But with Bruce…

"Bruce," she whispered forlornly into her empty room.

Even though he was another illusion of Aphrodite's, she'd **felt** him. She'd **felt** his Batarang glance off of her head as she was about to do her mother in. She'd **felt** his hand grab at her throat just as she'd **felt** her fingers encase his. And most staggeringly of all, she'd **felt** him pull her into his arms; **felt** the whisper of his breath dance along the skin of her nose, lips and chin as he drew closer and closer; and gods help her she'd **felt** his lips upon hers. Even now if she tried hard enough, she could still feel the warm tingle on her lips caused by his and taste his unique flavor in her mouth.

It just hurt so much to try to remember.

"Such deep love is so rare to find these days among mortals…"

Diana shot up into a sitting position on her bed and turned to see through her bleary eyes beauty personified.

"…though you are not a mortal, of course," continued Aphrodite as Diana scrambled to get off her bed, "even if the object of your love is."

Diana dropped onto her knees beside her bed and in front of the Goddess of Love. She wasn't certain if it was being in the presence of a goddess, her extreme fatigue or thinking about Bruce that caused the whimper to pass by her lips. She suspected that it was Bruce.

"You miss him so much," said Aphrodite as she knelt down in front of Diana, all but verifying the cause of Diana's woeful whine. Diana bowed her head reverently, but raised it again when Aphrodite placed her perfect hand underneath her chin and forced her to look up. "And love him dearly."

"Yes," said Diana in a mournful whisper.

The smile that Aphrodite bestowed upon Diana was radiant. "Believe me, Diana, he loves you as well."

Tears instantly materialized in Diana's eyes at the goddess' use of the present tense though she somehow managed to keep them from spilling out on to her cheeks.

Aphrodite regarded Diana, her smile wavering and then being replaced by a small frown. Her brow slightly creased in puzzlement, and then she nodded as she came to a somewhat surprising realization. "You still do not understand, Diana? You still do not realize the magnitude of what I did for you?"

"You kept me from being swallowed by the darkness," replied Diana, her head bowed slightly and her voice reverent and grateful. She looked up into the goddess' bright eyes and added, "You saved me, Aphrodite."

"Indeed," replied Aphrodite in a nearly gleeful voice. "But you still do not truly comprehend everything." Aphrodite floated up from the floor with no effort at all, and then held her flawless hands out to Diana. When Diana's hands found hers, Aphrodite pulled her to her feet and kept a hold of her hands. "You have such love within you, Diana. I created the illusion to help you see that love was the key- your love." Aphrodite's right eyebrow moved upward a fraction of an inch. "Cassie, Donna and Hippolyta are all alive, Diana, and return your love unconditionally, so I used that love to show you the darkness. All things being equal, as the saying goes, then I used your love of someone that is alive and returns your love to free you from it."

Diana's eyes slowly widened and a flare of hope shot upward from the pit of her stomach and exploded into her heart. "What?" she gasped.

"Your Batman lives," the goddess announced with a smile. "Others have already come to the same conclusion so there is no harm in me telling you that much."

"We saw him," said Diana softly. "I saw him."

"It will be explained to you," Aphrodite explained. "But if it is proof you seek, I can give it to you." She gave Diana a smirk. "I had to petition Hera, Hermes, Apollo, Athena and even Zeus himself to do the small favor I am about to do for you."

Diana nodded in understanding and sympathy, mixing it with a smile of appreciation even if she wasn't sure what this favor entailed. Hera, Queen of the gods, was also the goddess of heirs, kings and empires- Bruce could have certainly been considered the king of his own empires in the form of Wayne Enterprises and the Batclan; Hermes, the messenger of the gods was also the god of travel- apparently Bruce had travelled as far as was possible; Apollo, the god of prophecy- he would perhaps have insight as to how Bruce would return. She preferred not to think that Aphrodite would consult him as the god of healing, knowing all too well that Bruce could very well be seriously injured; Athena was the goddess of wisdom and heroic endeavor- Bruce was a hero in every sense of the word and no doubt wisdom on a phenomenal scale would be needed to return him; and last but certainly not least, Zeus, King of the gods and god of fate- Aphrodite would not be able to do anything without his permission.

"Close your eyes, child," said Aphrodite and Diana immediately obeyed. A moment later Diana felt the goddess' warm lips on her forehead…

…and she opened her eyes to find herself in the Batcave.

_The Batcave?_ Diana asked herself. She looked around the cave and couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips at the familiarity of it. She slowly strode over to the nearby work table where Bruce was prone to making his Batarangs and gadgets. Sure enough, a sizable batch of Batarangs waited patiently on the table for future use. Her smile widened as she reached over and picked up one of the smaller projectiles that Bruce favored, then held it in the palm of her left hand and gently caressed the smooth metal with the fingertips of her right hand.

She sensed a presence behind her and her heart began to thump madly in her chest, not in surprise or anticipation, but in fear. Yes, an Amazon could be afraid, at least she could and she was now. She was afraid that it would be Bruce and she was terrified that she would have to find out that he wouldn't be coming back to her.

"Princess."

Diana's eyes closed as his voice washed over her, and when the slight echo of his endearment for her disappeared into the dark depths of the cave she opened her eyes and turned around to face him. He was in his uniform and he looked just the same as he had before the battle that had claimed his life.

"Bruce," she breathed lovingly. "You're here."

Bruce looked about the cave and then reached up to remove his cowl. When his blue eyes found hers he said, "For now."

Before she could ask him to stay he smiled and reached over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Patience, Princess," he growled good naturedly, just as he'd used to tell her to be patient when they'd sparred together or whenever she'd be getting antsy before a fight.

Her hands moved up onto his chest and she smiled when she felt his heart beating beneath her right hand.

No more words needed to be spoken. The shutters behind their eyes that kept prying eyes from looking into their souls disintegrated so that they could peer deep within each other. She could see deep into his soul, see his love for her and his family, and see his indomitable will. And she knew he could see the same within her.

They leaned towards each other, and her heart rate increased as he neared. When their lips met her heart nearly spasmed as his heat spread into her body. All too soon Bruce pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"I'm trying to get home, Princess," he told her. "Have patience."

"Bruce, I…" She stopped, why she couldn't even begin to fathom, and Bruce nodded.

"Me, too." He smiled and leaned towards her again and a moment later she sighed when his lips kissed her forehead…

…Diana sat up in her bed and she clutched at the sheet that had been covering her as she looked about her room to find no sign of Bruce or Aphrodite.

_A dream,_ she realized and a bubble of despair popped in her chest.

She threw the sheet off her and got out of bed, only to stop dead in her tracks and gasp as something fell from the bed to clatter loudly as it hit the metal floor. With eyes wide and her heart pounding she looked down, and there on the floor next to her bed the light glinted off the edge of a Batarang.

She reached down and picked the Batarang up, and as she studied it she heard his voice whisper in her room, "Patience, Princess."


	5. Chapter 5

Back to the animated 'verse I go. This is based on the events of the JL animated show's episode, 'Starcrossed', where the League is on the run from the Thanagarians.

Not run through beta so all mistakes are mine alone, and it's late and I'm tired so there's no telling what I've got done. Thanks for the reviews…I really do appreciate them.

* * *

Diana rose gracefully from where she'd been perched and gently stretched out the kink that had developed in her lower back. She had been sitting in the same spot, on top of the same building in the company of the same man for well over an hour practicing her own form of brooding. While her style of brooding lacked the vigor and all encompassing manner of her partner's, she'd still managed to impress herself with her brood factor.

When her troublesome muscles finally relaxed, Diana slowly and quietly- she could handle being admonished for being loud only so often before the urge to physically hurt him would become overwhelming- made her way to the edge of the rooftop. She lifted her right leg and rested her foot on the raised edge so that her arms could rest on the front of her thigh as she leaned forward to once again watch the goings on below.

"When you asked if me I wanted to go out with you tonight, I have to admit that this isn't exactly what I thought you meant." Diana looked up from the street again only to find Batman studiously watching below. "Or hoped you'd meant."

Batman continued to vigilantly observe the people walking along the sidewalks below as he spoke. "Sorry, Princess," he said in a tone that told her he was no such thing. "But you know I patrol at night." He spared her only a brief sidelong glance before adding, "And for the record, you didn't ask what we were going to do. You assumed."

"I'd hoped," she'd corrected in a melancholy whisper before she could stop herself. She turned back towards the street just as Batman turned towards her.

"Diana…"

"Why are we even here anyway?" she interrupted loudly just to piss him off, unwilling and unable to have another one of _**those **_conversations. "We're not even in Gotham."

Bruce hesitated as if he were trying to decide whether or not to play along or simply say what he'd been planning to say. He wisely chose the former. "The restaurant across the street has been the target of a protection racket," he said as he turned back towards the restaurant. "They've beaten up the owner's son, trashed the restaurant twice and repeatedly threatened the owner, his family and his business." There was a brief pause that Diana would have assumed was for dramatic effect if it had been anyone other than Batman. "We're going to put a stop to it tonight."

"Oh **we** are, are **we**?" asked Diana forcefully as she dropped her foot to the rooftop and stood to her full height. She glared daggers at him as he turned towards her, and when he faced her she leaned in closer to him and said, "Why in the name of Zeus should I help you with this?"

Diana thought she saw disappointment flash across Batman's face, though how she could have ever seen it with the cowl on she didn't know. Then again, disappointment was what she felt towards herself when her brain finally caught up with what her mouth had said.

"You're Justice League, Princess," replied Batman in his usual voice, which was even worse than if he'd shouted at her, "which means you help those who can't help themselves against bullies like these." It was Batman's turn to lean in, and despite the fact that she knew she deserved what he'd said and was about to say, Diana had to draw upon all her resolve not to back away. "You don't recognize this place." It wasn't a question. "This is where you and I hid from the Thanagarians after escaping from their ship."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise and she gasped as she turned towards the restaurant, her hair flying about her face haphazardly. She had been staring at the place for an hour and hadn't recognized it at all, but now that she knew what it was it looked so familiar: the large plate glass front window, the orange-red door with round window and the tables inside resting on the orange colored carpet. She could almost see the table that she and Bruce had been led to, the table where she'd reached over and…

"Princess."

Diana blinked, only then realizing that she'd zoned out enough so that she hadn't even noticed the lights in the restaurant go out. She shook her head as she turned back to face Batman and sighed. "You're right," she said, swallowing her pride for maybe the first time in her life.

To Bruce's credit, he seemed to realize that and the significance of it and made nothing more of it except to nod once. "If you're ready," he said a moment later, "the crooks went into the restaurant a few seconds ago before the owner could lock the door."

She was about to jump off the building but his strong grip on her arm prevented it.

"I'll go in the front," he said as he reached for his grapple with his free hand. "You go around and wait for them by the back door." He released her arm and stepped up onto the edge of the roof. He fired the grapple and was about to jump when Diana called out.

"Wait!" Her anger at being told what to do was tempered by her trust of Bruce and her curiosity. "What makes you think they'll come out the back door?"

Bruce's mouth quirked into a smirk as he said, "Because I'll let them."

Diana grinned as Bruce activated the grapple and flew through the night towards the restaurant. She lifted from the rooftop and flew over the street and then the building, then lowered herself onto the ground by the back door.

She'd barely settled in to wait when the first muffled cry of surprise made it to her ears, followed in rapid succession by a desperate shout for help, two loud thumps, a crash and the rapid pitter patter of frightened little feet. Diana braced herself and a second later the door burst wide open. She nearly laughed at the sight of three men- two of whom were overweight- tried to squeeze through the door at the same time and became stuck, but she didn't. Instead she watched as Batman crept up behind the struggling trio and gave her a barely perceptible shrug before raising his right leg and giving the man in the middle a healthy kick in the ass.

The three men flew out of the doorway to land at her feet, and before they could even register what was happening she'd thrown one of the larger men against the wall of the next building with a resounding thud, then picked the other two up by their collars, one in each hand. She raised the two men up and slammed them against the wall, one on either side of the first man who had come to his senses and realized just how much trouble he and his cohorts were in.

Diana glared at the three of them, knowing full well that she was pressing on the chests of the two men a little harder than she should have been, and waited for Bruce to do his thing. She would readily admit to anyone that when it came to intimidation and instilling fear into criminals, Batman was the expert of experts.

"This ends tonight," rasped Batman's voice beside her right ear. She forced herself not to jump for she hadn't even heard him come up behind her. Apparently the three men hadn't either, as two of them nearly went into cardiac arrest and the third- the big bruiser in her right hand- instantly wet his pants. She couldn't blame him- she wasn't sure she'd heard Batman's voice sound so soft and deadly at the same time.

"This business, these people, their friends and their family are under our protection," Batman added in the same menacing voice. "You will leave them alone and never come back. If you do anything to hurt these people again," Batman leaned closer as he spoke the next few words so that when he finished he was pretty much leaning against her shoulder, "we will find you."

Batman backed off and said, "Anything you'd like to add, Wonder Woman?"

Diana smiled, at the men and to herself. The smile she gave the crooks was predatory and she relished to looks of agony it brought out of the men. Her inward smile was radiant, because Bruce had not only included her in this little row, but was giving her an equal billing in it.

"No thank you, Batman," she replied after pretending to mull it over. "I believe you've covered it very nicely." She released the two men she'd been holding against the wall and nearly broke out in hysterics when they grabbed onto each other and cuddled for dear life.

She stared at the men as they stayed that way for a minute, frozen in fear and not knowing what to do. Finally Batman walked up beside her, and after giving them a sweep with his eyes he growled, "Go." The men didn't move. "Now." The men moved…like rockets flying out the alleyway.

She was about to finally let the laughter out when a soft voice from the doorway beckoned to them.

She and Batman turned around to find the owners of the restaurant looking at them in awe. They appeared just as they did when they'd helped her and Bruce hide from the Thanagarians.

"Thank you," the man said in his slight accent. He nodded to the woman standing next to him and said, "My wife and I didn't know what to do."

To her surprise Batman took a step towards them and said in a gentle voice, "You're welcome." With that Batman raised his arm to the sky and shot his grapple towards the top of the building. A moment later he was gone.

Diana smiled at the husband and wife and then lifted up into the air. "Take care, and rest easy knowing that we are watching," she said before following Bruce into the sky. She found him where she'd expected to find him: the rooftop where they'd spent a good part of the night.

"Little punks," growled Bruce as she landed next to him.

Diana let loose a moment of musical laughter. "You scared the life out of them," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I doubt they'll even venture into this part of the city again, much less bother them."

"That was the point," replied Batman. He reached up and activated the comm. in his cowl. "Watchtower…two to transport to the cave."

A moment later, Diana felt the familiar sensation of being disassembled and reassembled on a molecular level, and found herself in the Batcave facing Bruce Wayne's butler.

"Alfred!" she exclaimed happily.

"Miss Diana," replied Alfred with a slight inclination of his head. "It is a pleasure to see you again." He turned to Batman and said, "All will be ready when you are, sir."

Alfred turned and walked towards the stairs and Bruce started walking towards the change room leaving her alone in. "Bruce?"

He stopped and turned towards her. "You can change in the third change room." He turned and continued walking towards his own change room and said before going inside, "Come upstairs when you're ready."

"Wait!" Too late. He was gone inside with the door securely shut. Diana sighed and looked about the cave before stepping towards the changing area. She found the third room and stepped inside only to come to an abrupt halt just inside the door when she saw the clothing that was waiting for her.

"Hera," she whispered in disbelief as she stepped over and regarded the clothes she'd 'borrowed' from the Bergduff's department store as they'd fled from the Thanagarians: the pale green, long sleeve shirt and light purple pants hung on individual hangers, and the black belt and boots rested upon the bench. Even the matching green scrunchie she'd used to tie her hair up into a pony tail was present next to the boots. The last time she'd seen those items was after changing into her uniform to face the Thanagarians in the cave. She'd never even thought about them before now.

She smiled as she reached over and removed the shirt from the hanger and then held it out in front of her to give it a proper appraisal. _Definitely the same shirt,_ she thought before setting it down so that she could take off her uniform.

She placed her uniform on the bench, and then pulled on the clothes leaving the scrunchie until last. _Still looks good,_ she thought as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, then pulled her hair up and wrapped the scrunchie around it to create a ponytail. It wasn't a way she wore her hair very often since coming to Man's world even though she'd used the style a lot growing up.

Diana gave herself one more once over in the mirror before exiting the change room and heading up the stairs that would take her to the manor. She'd barely made it to the top step when the entrance slid open to reveal Alfred on the other side, apparently waiting for her.

There was a small smile on the old man's lips as she stepped into the room. "You do look lovely, Miss Diana."

Diana smiled in return as the clock slid back to hide the entrance to the cave. "Thank you, Alfred." She motioned down her body with her hands and said, "I can't believe you kept this."

Alfred's face remained stoic, though his voice held a hint of genuine pride as he said, "It was Master Bruce's idea to keep the garments, Miss. He asked me to put them away just in case."

Diana's brow creased as she asked, "In case of what?"

"In case you needed them again," answered a voice from across the room.

When Diana looked over to Bruce her breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him wearing the same clothes he'd appropriated from the store that night, minus the leather jacket, of course. He looked so handsome in the brown pants and gray shirt.

Her eyes found his and he smirked as though he knew what she'd been thinking, but the smirk was so fleeting that she couldn't be sure.

"Alfred?" said Bruce as he turned to the older man.

"All is ready, Master Bruce," announced Alfred as he started moving towards the door. "All that is now required is you and your lovely guest."

Bruce turned to Diana as Alfred sailed past him and out the door. "You do look stunning, Diana."

"Thank you, Bruce," she replied with a smile. She started walking towards him and said, "You look pretty good yourself." Bruce nodded his gratitude and she asked, "What's ready?"

"Dinner," replied Bruce as he reached over with his left hand and took her right hand in his. His thumb gently rubbed back and forth over her knuckles sending small jolts of electricity into both their bodies.

Realization dawned upon her in a flash of clarity that was so intense it almost hurt: Bruce asking her to join him in his work; not only asking her to go but treating her as an equal partner; that work being to help someone from **their** past; keeping the clothes from their run from the Thanagarians and giving them to her now; followed by this blatant and beautiful physical contact and capped off by what was sure to be one of Alfred's mouthwatering feasts.

She looked into Bruce's eyes and couldn't help but smile at the smugness in his eyes. "Careful, Bruce," she said playfully as her free hand reached over to hold his. "I might get used to this."

Bruce's face remained somewhat stoic, but there was an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes as he whispered, "I hope so, Princess."


	6. Chapter 6

I've had this started since I saw 'Justice League: Doom', which I didn't particularly like btw. Maybe that's why I had so much trouble doing anything with it. Anyway, this doesn't feel up to my usual par for me, but I decided to post it anyway…be gentle. I take generous liberties with the characters in this one I think.

No beta so they're my mistakes.

* * *

Batman looked down upon his city and waited with the copious patience that had served him so well in his life. Things had been quiet for the last few nights, with super villains, thieves, muggers, rapists and punk ass thugs alike seemingly taking a long overdue holiday. Not that he was complaining by any means, as a little peace and quiet did him and the city good, but he was as certain as he knew the sun would rise in the morning that it wasn't going to last long.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Batman continued to survey the goings on below his perch and said nothing in response to the unwelcomed yet expected question.

He'd known Diana was coming from literally a mile away. The members of the League were so predictable in their own ways, even Diana. Especially Diana, who he personally knew better than the others. In every city that she frequented she had a certain area that always transported to, a central area close to all the major hotspots of that city that she could easily reach within a reasonably short amount of time. In Gotham, that central point was above the harbor, and from there she would fly to wherever she wanted to go in Gotham.

And he was always aware of his surroundings- he had to be- and he'd been expecting this visit. Yes, he'd known she would come, and he knew which direction she would come from relative to his position in the city. That she'd waited almost a week since his departure from the League was a bit of a surprise, but the timing was the variable that was most uncertain.

"I didn't tell anyone, Princess," he replied after a few moments of blissful silence.

There was a loud noise behind him that sounded a lot like the thud an irate Amazon might make as she landed heavily on a roof just to make a point.

"Don't play with me, Batman," she growled. He could tell it took a substantial effort from her not to pummel him then and there.

Bruce allowed himself the smallest of sighs before turning to face the fuming Wonder Woman. Despite his guard being up and his defenses ready, she still managed to take his breath away, figuratively speaking. She was always radiant, and for some reason that escaped him the fact that she was madder than hell at him only intensified the affect.

"There's nothing more I can say, Wonder Woman," he said as frostily as he was able, which was more than enough according to the way her fingers curled into fists that could do him a serious amount of damage should they strike him. "I gave my reasons for what I did. They were valid when I created the countermeasures, and they're still valid. Maybe even more so." He took a step towards her and lowered his voice to a level he'd never used with her before. "Flash, Lantern, J'onn and Superman were all successfully neutralized." His eyes narrowed as he added, "You however, were manipulated into attacking and injuring dozens of police officers and civilians." Diana winced and then looked down to the roof. Bruce backed away, knowing he'd made his point even if it made him feel like crap. "We're not perfect, Princess." She looked back up to him, her blue eyes asking him to elaborate. "Even superheroes can be controlled given the right circumstances."

Diana's shoulders relaxed as the tension bled out of them, and then she brought her arms up into a self hug. "That's not the issue, Bruce," she whispered softly enough so that he couldn't berate her for using his name in the field. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone," he repeated, "because there was no reason to." Diana's eyes opened wide in conveying her incredulousness in his statement compelling him to explain. "If the League went over to the other side for any reason, then the element of surprise would have enhanced the plans' effectiveness. If the League never went rogue or fell under the influence of an outside force, then the countermeasures wouldn't have been necessary and never would have been used."

"But they were used!" Diana interjected forcefully, apparently agreeing with and accepting his assessment of the first scenario. "And look what happened! If you hadn't been the stubborn ass that you are and burrowed out of the grave, then we all would have been finished and Savage would have won!"

That stung Bruce, even if his outward appearance gave Diana no indication of it. Not the stubborn ass comment either. No one blamed him for the theft of his files and perversion of his non-lethal countermeasures into death sentences for the League more than he did. It was why he'd nearly worked himself into a coma those first couple of days after leaving the League upgrading the Cave's security system. Mirror Master would never again be able to do what he'd done. No one would.

"I'm aware of that, Princess," he said, his voice low and having a hint of regret in it. "That wasn't what they were designed to do." Diana opened her mouth to say something but he continued on saying, "Go back to the Watchtower, Princess. We're arguing in circles. You think I betrayed the League, and I believe I did what was necessary and would do it again. We're entrenched in our positions and nothing will change that."

Diana stared at him as her arms lowered and her hands once again formed dangerous fists, her eyes blazing the short distance between them with such intensity that he could almost feel heat bombard his bare chin. "You were wrong."

Bruce took in a fortifying breath and asked in a soft growl, "Do you deny that it's possible for the League to go rogue or be manipulated?"

Diana's voice was just as menacing when she responded. "Of course not! It's about trust, Bruce. We're a team and you didn't trust us!" She shook her head as she added, "You didn't trust **me**."

"I didn't trust **you** enough to let you know what I was doing," said Bruce with a slight tilt of his head, "is that the problem?"

"No!" Diana declared defensively. There was a moment of hesitation before she added somewhat uncertainly, "Maybe."

Bruce waited for a moment, taking his time to choose his words carefully. "I've trusted you with things- parts of me- that I have never trusted with anyone else, Diana." His right hand began to reach for her, but halfway to her arm he hesitated and withdrew it, sliding both his hands under his cape and allowing it to completely encase his body. "You've seen me at my worst and at my best. You've been there for me, and with me, more than anyone these last few years, except for Alfred of course. And with the exception of Alfred you know me better than anyone."

Bruce took a single step backwards, a small step to create a more effective buffer zone between him and Diana. It wasn't that he feared for himself or expected her to lash out. No, he needed space because her bright cobalt eyes were drawing him in and the heat from her body felt like a scorching breeze that could burn him alive if he let it.

"You talk about trust, Diana," he said after a moment of silence. "Odd that the one woman- the one person- I trust more than anyone besides the man who's been my father for most of my life, doesn't trust me."

"What are you talking about?" Diana yelled as her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed in anger. "I trusted you more than anyone! I trusted you with my life on more than one occasion!" She stopped for a moment, her chest heaving as though she'd just sparred with Bruce and not been accused of not trusting him. Her voice was infinitely calm and laced with an innocence that was a part of Diana's soul because of her Amazon upbringing and heritage as she said, "I trusted you with my heart and my body." She sadly shook her head and asked, "What else is there?"

Bruce struggled for a moment to reign in his own emotions. What she said was true. She had trusted him with her heart and body, allowing him into places that hadn't been seen or touched- figuratively and literally- by any other being, just as he had let her in.

"This wasn't about you, Diana," he said with all the gentleness he was capable of while wearing the cowl. "It wasn't about us." He stepped towards her, suddenly needing to be close to her and craving her warmth knowing all too well that this could very well be his last opportunity to feel it. "It was about the League and what could happen should the unthinkable occur. Who or what would be able to stop an evil Justice League? No one and nothing." He studied her face looking for any signs of what she was feeling or thinking and found nothing. "You know that I meticulously plan and prepare…it's one of the few advantages that I have. It's what I do."

For the first time since her arrival Diana smiled. It wasn't her radiant, all encompassing smile, but it was a smile. "Yes it is."

It was an opening, and Bruce decided it was all or nothing time. "The only thing I've never been able to plan for in my life…was you and what you do to me." Diana's smile wavered, and Bruce realized he'd gone too far.

He backed away again, waiting long enough to soak in her beauty one last time before turning on his heal and walking briskly towards the edge of the roof. He stopped and retrieved his grapple from his belt. "For the record, the worst thing about this whole experience for me wasn't leaving the League, or even losing your trust." He turned his head so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye. "It's you almost dying because of something I thought up." He turned away again and said, "Good-bye, Diana."

Before she could formulate a response, he fired his grapple across the street and activated it leaving Diana alone on the rooftop as he sailed through the gloomy Gotham night that seemed to get darker and darker the farther away from her he traveled.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, sorry it's taken so long, but my muse had gone AWOL…little bugger. This is a continuation of the last chapter…a moment related from that moment, as it were. I'm thinking there will be another to clue it up and then hopefully I will get back to other moments.

No beta as usual, so the mistakes are mine. Oh, and Tyche is the Greek goddess associated with luck and fortune.

* * *

Diana walked through the hallway with her usual grace and finesse, just as if she were walking through the familiar halls of her mother's palace or the corridors of the Watchtower. She wasn't in uniform at the moment, hoping that the blue pantsuit and white blouse she was wearing would help to alleviate any anxiety those she was about to see might feel at her presence.

"You have to understand, Wonder Woman," said the Chief of Police in a low voice as they neared the door, "that some of these men were severely injured during your ahhhh," he glanced at her and then said with an admirable amount of diplomacy, "the skirmish, and may not be all that happy to see you."

Diana slowed to a stop several feet from the door and turned to face the Chief. He was a tall man in his early to mid forties, with a full crop of black hair that had the barest telltale signs of gray at the temples. His brown eyes were so dark they could have been black. "You may say what's on your mind, Chief Bacow. They were severely injured during my attack." The Chief sighed and Diana clasped her hands in front of her and lowered her eyes in a show of respect for him and his men as well as sorrow for what she had done. "No one feels more anger for what happened than I, and I wish with all my heart and soul that I could take it all back or at the very least take their places." Her head tilted upward and she locked eyes with Bacow. "But I can do neither. The least I can do is apologize to them personally and accept whatever censure they wish to give me."

Bacow took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his nose. "For what it's worth, we all know that you were under someone else's influence and not responsible for your actions."

"That doesn't make me feel any less responsible," she replied mournfully. "Or feel any less sorry about what I did."

"I wouldn't expect it to," replied the Chief, his voice full of sympathy. When next he spoke however, the sympathy was replaced by admiration while kindness shone in his dark eyes. "You wouldn't be the superhero you are if it did."

Diana didn't particularly agree with the words, but she appreciated the sentiment and couldn't help but smile at it. She thanked the Chief with a grateful nod and when Bacow smiled back she turned and faced the door. Bacow stepped ahead of her and opened the door to the ward that had been designated for those who had suffered the worst injuries by her hand and still required hospital care.

Luckily Tyche had smiled down upon her enough that terrible day to ensure that she hadn't killed anyone. In fact, despite her belief that she had been chasing and battling Cheetah, no one had been in danger of dying due to their injuries, not even the civilians she had initially attacked.

She had vowed to visit them all and apologize in person for what she had done. To her it was absolutely necessary, not only for herself but for them as well. The other Leaguers had disagreed, with Superman even going as far as to offer the services of Clark Kent to do an interview with her for the Daily Planet in which she could apologize to everyone at once.

She had appreciated his generous offer, but declined.

She would visit them all and this was the first of a number of visits that had been arranged for her over the next few days.

Diana steeled herself and slowly walked into the large room. Her head turned to the left and slowly turned to the right so that she could take in the room. There were thirteen beds, with six lining the wall to her left and six lining the wall to her right with one situated on the far wall directly in front of her. Each bed held within its protective grasp an injured officer, and sitting next to each bed was a woman. None of the ladies appeared old enough to be the mother of any of the policemen, and she surmised them to be wives, girlfriends, sisters or friends.

There was, however, one other person in the room sitting with the officer in the bed in front of her. He was smiling and laughing softly, as were the policeman in the bed and his female companion. Their laughter stopped and their smiles disappeared in short order as they took notice of her arrival.

It was the first time she had seen him since he'd left her on that rooftop in Gotham two days ago, and her heart began hammering in her chest as Bruce Wayne stared at her across the room. His gaze was so intense she had to fight the urge to turn away from it. After what seemed like a lifetime, Bruce turned away from her and leaned closer to the injured officer so that he could speak somewhat privately to him.

The officer smiled again and shook Bruce's hand when Bruce offered it to him.

Bruce's eyes found hers again as he straightened up and started walking towards her. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked towards each bed as he said, "Thank you for letting me visit with you today guys," he said in a voice that sounded humble and genuine, as she was sure he was. "I wish each and every one of you all the best," he continued with a smile that warmed Diana's heart. "You all have my contact information and I look forward to hearing from you all when you get out of here."

Bruce walked the few steps necessary to reach her and the Chief, then extended his hand towards Bacow. "Thanks for setting this up, Chief," he said as he and Bacow shook hands. "I appreciate it more than you could know."

_He might not know,_ thought Diana, _but I do._ And with that thought echoing around in her head her earlier words to Bacow were proven to be utterly wrong- there was someone who felt more anger about this situation than she did: Bruce. Despite her initial feelings of betrayal at the contingency plans Bruce had developed, she'd known he'd deeply regretted how they'd been used against her and the League.

His words from the other night replayed in her mind, causing her heart to ache and her eyes to lose their focus. _"For the record, the worst thing about this whole experience for me wasn't leaving the League, or even losing your trust. It's you almost dying because of something I thought up."_

Of course he would extend those feelings of anger, regret and guilt to those innocents affected- like these fine officers. He was blaming himself for the injuries sustained by these gallant men. Diana knew we would do anything within his power to make amends for his part in their situation, and while Batman could do little in this regard Bruce Wayne could do plenty. And once again she could see that she and Bruce were more alike than not, with him needing to do something to right the wrong he believed to have committed by him just as did she.

Her eyes snapped back into focus when she heard him say, "It's nice to see you again, Wonder Woman." She looked into his stormy blue eyes and tried to gauge what he was feeling and thinking…unsuccessfully of course. He'd spoken in his usual Bruce Wayne voice, but she could have sworn she'd heard something else as well, a hint of longing or a whisper of love. It could have been her imagination, but more than likely it was her own feelings of yearning playing mind games with her.

"You too, Mr. Wayne," she replied with a smile. Bacow excused himself and then, for only an instant, the veil that usually covered Bruce's and protected his soul from the outside world lifted allowing her to see his pain. And in that instant she knew without a doubt that he loved her still, just as she still loved him. In that split second of time, she knew that he missed her as much as she missed him.

Diana held her hand out for him to take. "And I've asked you before to call me 'Diana'."

She waited and a moment later his large hand engulfed hers. He smiled and nodded as though coming to a decision within himself. "And I've asked you to call me 'Bruce', Diana."

"So you have, Bruce," she replied, her face nearly hurting from the huge smile adorning it. His thumb began rubbing along her knuckle and Diana gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

All too soon he released her hand and said, "Until we meet again," he said, adding in a voice just loud enough for her to hear, "Princess."

He breezed past her and she turned to watch him leave. He paused by the door and gave her a hesitant smile before waving to the injured men and disappearing out the door.

Diana sighed as she tried to get her heart rate under control. There were still things to be worked out between them, but at least she knew working them out was possible which was much more than she'd had two days ago.

"Wonder Woman," said a voice from behind her and she turned to see Bacow regarding her. "There are some people I'd like to introduce to you."

She reluctantly forced thoughts of what had just transpired from her mind and focused on what she needed to do. "Of course, Chief Bacow."


End file.
